How to Outline Your Novel - part 1

hello everybody you guys have been hounding me all about how to write an outline so guess what today is your lucky day I am here to answer your 10 most popular questions about outlining before I get started a little disclaimer all of my answers are based on my experience and research people get very sensitive when it comes to outline why I don't know humans are weird so just know from the start that I am a huge fan of outlining and my answers are going to reflect that let's get to the questions number one what exactly is an outline an outline is kind of like a blueprint for your book it breaks down the events that are going to go down in sequential order that way you can reference it while writing and make sure your story is going according to plan number two what does an outline look like if you want to get technical there are rules for writing a proper outline but so long as it works for you it really doesn't matter what your outline looks like some writers follow a technical format and there's a bunch of different kinds like the skeletal outline the flashlight outline the topic outline but some writers don't bother with technicalities they just use numbers or bullet points bottom line it doesn't matter what format you use it just needs to be easy for you to follow because the point of an outline is to make the process a lot less complicated and soul-crushing number three is there any benefit to an outline oh yeah there are approximately of a jillion benefit an outline will guide you throughout the writing process it will significantly decrease or potentially eliminate plot holes it'll make sure your story line doesn't go off on to useless tangents it'll increase your odds of crafting a super intense climax because no one wants to be left hanging right before the climax right get it get it and it will decrease your potential for writer's block you won't be saying I don't know it's right next you always know what's right next it's in your outline also writers to outline spend a lot less time in the reviving phase than write or through don't outline number four I've been outlining for days and I'm stuck what do I do now there are lots of things you can do to unstuff yourself while outlining but one of the most effective methods is to work backwards start with the climax of your novel and figure out all the steps that lead up to that moment not only will this help you nail down a super-awesome climate right from the start it'll also make the outlining process a lot simpler it's easier to navigate a maze when you can clearly see the finish line now while you're going to the outlining phase just keep in mind it's normal to struggle outlining it's hard for the same reason writing is hard you're creating a lot of something out of a whole lot of nothing but when you create an outline you're basically getting a lot of that frustration out right at the start and in a shorter period of time versus experiencing it throughout the entire writing process so if you're attempting to skip the step just because it's difficult you're shooting yourself in the foot if you want it easy you probably shouldn't have decided to write a book number five does that lightning ruin the creative process how would it ruin the creative process you're literally creating a story that's what outlining is outlining is one of my favorite parts of the writing process because it gives me the opportunity to let my creativity shine I'm inventing an entire story and I'm watching it unfold to completion it's kind of a power rush outlining is essentially a streamlined version of storytelling you're building a world and a plot and conflict and characters using nothing but your imagination it's just instead of writing it in lengthy colorful sentences you're writing it in shorthand and it's fun to do because you get to see this world you created completely mapped out in full number six with an outline you always know what's coming next so that lessen the excitement of writing the novel honestly it should probably do the complete opposite I am more excited to write my novel because I know what's coming back I don't get bored with the scene I'm currently writing because I know I've got to finish it if I want to get to the next scene they kiss in the next scene Jenna hurry the [ __ ] up unless you've outlined a supremely boring story knowing what's coming next should be exciting because the following content is often exciting content number seven what if I need to deviate from my outline a lot of people complain about having to deviate from their outlines and the number one reason they cite is that their characters decided to do something else first of all take some ownership here your characters are fictional they don't exist Oh Jenna someone how to say it when you say your character decided to do something else more often and not what you really mean that you outlined your story before you fully understood your character psyche you plan certain events to happen but the characters you created don't mesh with those plans the easiest way to avoid this dilemma is to thoroughly plan your characters alongside the outline create your characters to fit the plot and create a plot that fits your characters now if you have to deviate from your outline to make the story as entertaining and realistic as possible do it the outline is not an ironclad contract it's just a guide but figuring out your characters alongside the outline could eliminate this problem altogether number eight how long should my outline be [ __ ] I don't know however long you need it to be to help write your story some writers prefer shorter concise outlines that just cover the basic plot point others prefer lengthy outlines that we've no stone unturned my outlines are usually really detailed and really long well over 30 pages because that's what works for me you got to figure out what works for you number nine some famous also so an outline why should I first of all you don't have to do anything you don't want to do no one's putting the gun to your head but unless you're equally skilled and established I want to get into the habit of comparing yourself to famous people with years of experience it's possible that you're the type of writer who doesn't need an outline it's also possible that you don't know what the [ __ ] you're doing you need all the help you can get and just like there are famous authors who don't outline there are also many famous authors who swear by them I would recommend making your decisions based on trial and error and personal writing style not because you're trying to emulate someone else and number 10 do I have to outline no you don't typically there are two types of writers those who outline and those who wing it most people call them plotters or Panthers I don't because I think the word Panthers is done there are definitely writers who are able to make up content as they go along and turn it into a masterpiece but these writers are typically seen as the minority most newbies who try this method crash and burn I'm just keeping it real a lot of writers need an outline it makes an extremely difficult process so much easier if we and it works for you then screw the outline keep doing what you're doing but if it's not working maybe be realistic might be time to give another method a shot that's what I got for you today outlining could be hard to get a hang of at first but once you get into the swing of things it's a godsend you can dabble with different outlining styles or vary between how detailed you want to be but bottom line is you got to choose a method that works for you and in an upcoming vlog I will show you my personal outlining method so be sure to stop by what that said don't forget to subscribe to my channel I post new videos on Wednesdays even the awakening is still available in eBook and paperback on Amazon right now you can also order a signed copy all the links posted below and if you have any questions or something like e to talk about in my next video be sure to tweet me at Jenna maresi bye

Channel: Writing with Jenna Moreci

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Keywords: write, writer, writing, read, reader, reading, book, books, ebook, publish, publishing, author, novel, word, literature, words, amazon, motivation, inspiration, funny, comedy, humor

Id: yUSvKqrCxZQ

Length: 7min 4sec (424 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 22 2017